Jailed for rape

A MAN convicted of raping his six-year-old grandson was yesterday told that he had exposed the innocent mind of the complainant to sexual activities at such a tender age.

Justice Riyaz Hamza made this statement while sentencing a 65-year-old grandfather to 11 years imprisonment at the High Court in Suva yesterday.

The offence happened on December 20, last year. The grandfather had raped the complainant at a bathroom outside his home after the complainant returned from his home.

In passing the sentence, Justice Hamza told the convicted man that he was the maternal grand-uncle of the complainant and he considered him as his grandfather and as such, he had to protect the complainant.

Justice Hamza also told the convicted grandfather that he had taken advantage of the complainant's vulnerability, considering the 58-year age gap between the two.

He also said children were the future of Fiji and sexual offenders must be deterred from committing such offences.

After considering the time spent by the convicted man in custody, Justice Hamza sentenced the security officer to 10 years and one month imprisonment.

He will be eligible for parole after serving eight years and one month imprisonment.